iRFP is a real time marker for transformation based assays in high content screening

Anchorage independent growth is one of the hallmarks of oncogenic transformation. Here we show that infrared fluorescent protein (iRFP) based assays allow accurate and unbiased determination of colony formation and anchorage independent growth over time. This protocol is particularly compatible with high throughput systems, in contrast to traditional methods which are often labor-intensive, subjective to bias and do not allow further analysis using the same cells. Transformation in a single layer soft agar assay could be documented as early as 2 to 3 days in a 96 well format, which can be easily combined with standard transfection, infection and compound screening setups to allow for high throughput screening to identify therapeutic targets

The Application of Human Spinal Cord Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy to Clinical Studies: A Review

This article reviews the current state of magnetic resonance spectroscopy applied in the human spinal cord with respect to its clinical applications and challenges in comparison to investigations in the human brain. Results from several disease processes affecting the spinal cord are presented, and potential advantages of applying clinical MRS in their investigation are emphasized

Non-Water-Suppressed 1H MR Spectroscopy with Orientational Prior Knowledge Shows Potential for Separating Intra- and Extramyocellular Lipid Signals in Human Myocardium

Conditions such as type II diabetes are linked with elevated lipid levels in the heart, and significantly increased risk of heart failure; however, metabolic processes underlying the development of cardiac disease in type II diabetes are not fully understood. Here we present a non-invasive method for in vivo investigation of cardiac lipid metabolism: namely, IVS-McPRESS. This technique uses metabolite-cycled, non-water suppressed 1H cardiac magnetic resonance spectroscopy with prospective and retrospective motion correction. High-quality IVS-McPRESS data acquired from healthy volunteers allowed us to investigate the frequency shift of extramyocellular lipid signals, which depends on the myocardial fibre orientation. Assuming consistent voxel positioning relative to myofibres, the myofibre angle with the magnetic field was derived from the voxel orientation. For separation and individual analysis of intra- and extramyocellular lipid signals, the angle myocardial fibres in the spectroscopy voxel take with the magnetic field should be within ±24.5°. Metabolite and lipid concentrations were analysed with respect to BMI. Significant correlations between BMI and unsaturated fatty acids in intramyocellular lipids, and methylene groups in extramyocellular lipids were found. The proposed IVS-McPRESS technique enables non-invasive investigation of cardiac lipid metabolism and may thus be a useful tool to study healthy and pathological conditions

Charakterisierung der E3 Ligase HectH9 und deren Einfluss auf cMyc und TopBP1

Das Protoonkogen c-myc kodiert für den Transkriptionsfaktor cMyc, der als Heterodimer mit Max die Transkription von Zielgenen aktiviert und als ternärer Komplex mit Max und Miz1 die Transkription einer zweiten Klasse von Zielgenen reprimiert. In dieser Arbeit wird gezeigt, dass HectH9, eine Ubiquitin E3 Ligase, endogen sowohl an cMyc als auch an Miz1 bindet. Miz1 wird im Gegensatz cMyc nicht von HectH9 modifiziert, kann aber die Ubiquitiniung von cMyc durch HectH9 inhibieren. Die Ubiquitinketten die HectH9 auf cMyc synthetisiert, sind über Lysin 63 verknüpft. Diese Modifikation führt nicht zu beschleunigtem Abbau von cMyc, sondern verändert dessen biologische Eigenschaften. Die Depletion von HectH9 durch shRNA reduziert die Fähigkeit von cMyc, Zielgene zu aktivieren. Die Repression von cMyc Zielgenen bleibt jedoch unbeeinflusst. Diese Ergebnisse lassen sich in Experimenten mit Myc KR6, einer cMyc Mu- tante die nicht mehr von HectH9 ubiquitiniert werden kann, bestätigen. Die Aktivierungsdefizienz von Myc KR6 zeigt sich in einer FACS-Analyse durch fehlende Induktion von Zellteilung und Apoptose. Während wildtyp cMyc bei gehungerten 3T3 Zellen Zellzyklusprogression und Zelltot induziert, verhalten sich Myc KR6 infizierte Zellen vergleichbar zu Kontrollzellen. Die Ursache hier für liegt in der Notwendigkeit der Ubiquitinierung von cMyc für die Rekrutierung von p300 an cMyc aktivierte Promotoren. Obwohl wildtyp cMyc und Myc KR6 gleich effizient an Zielpromotoren assoziieren, kann lediglich wildtyp cMyc die Histonacetyltransferase p300 binden, welche notwendig für Rekrutierung von generellen Transkriptionsfaktoren ist. TopBP1 ist Bestandteil der DNA Schadenssignalkaskade und essentieller Aktiva- tor von ATR nach DNA Schadensinduktion durch UV-B Strahlung. Zellen, die Miz1 überexprimieren zeigen Anzeichen von DNA Schaden und weisen verlän- gerte Halbwertszeiten von TopBP1 und ATR auf. In dieser Arbeit konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Überexpression von HectH9 die Halbwertszeit von TopBP1 nach UV-B Strahlung im Vergleich zu Kontrollzellen reduziert und TopBP1 von HectH9 mit über Lysin 48 verknüpfte Polyubiquitinketten markiert wird. Diese Polyubiquitinierung wird von Miz1 gehemmt. Eine TopBP1 Mutante, die Miz1 nicht mehr binden kann, wird gegenüber wildtyp TopBP1 stärker ubiquitiniert und schneller abgebaut. Zusammenfassend wird deutlich, dass die E3 Ligase HectH9 entscheidend denZellzyklus vorantreibt, in dem sie durch Ubiquitinierung über Lysin 63 cMyc aktiviert und so die Zellzyklusprogression fördert und zusätzlich über Abbau von TopBP1 die Induktion von Zellzyklusarest reduziert. Diese onkogenen Ei- genschaften werden besonders im Kolonkarzinom deutlich. Während in normalen Darmgewebe HectH9 mRNA in nur 10% aller untersuchten Proben schwach nachzuweisen ist, ist in 80% aller untersuchten Adenokarzinome die HectH9 Transkription erhöht

Development of an inducible mouse model of iRFP713 to track recombinase activity and tumour development in vivo

While the use of bioluminescent proteins for molecular imaging is a powerful technology to further our understanding of complex processes, fluorescent labeling with visible light fluorescent proteins such as GFP and RFP suffers from poor tissue penetration and high background autofluorescence. To overcome these limitations, we generated an inducible knock-in mouse model of iRFP713. This model was used to assess Cre activity in a Rosa Cre-ER background and quantify Cre activity upon different tamoxifen treatments in several organs. We also show that iRFP can be readily detected in 3D organoid cultures, FACS analysis and in vivo tumour models. Taken together we demonstrate that iRFP713 is a progressive step in in vivo imaging and analysis that widens the optical imaging window to the near-infrared spectrum, thereby allowing deeper tissue penetration, quicker image acquisition without the need to inject substrates and a better signal to background ratio in genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs)

Histological markers in nasal mucosa of patients with Alzheimer's disease

Neuropathological changes such as dystrophic neurites and the presence of abnormal tau protein in the olfactory system, including primary sensory cells and nerve fibres have previously been demonstrated in nasal mucosa tissue of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). These changes were detected in autopsy-derived material from histopathologically confirmed AD cases as well as in biopsy tissue from clinical severely ill AD patients. To investigate the potential usefulness for the early diagnosis of AD, we obtained biopsy tissue from olfactory mucosa from 5 clinically mild to moderate AD patients and stained for the presence of tau or beta-amyloid by immunocytochemistry using a panel of specific antibodies. No positive staining was found in any of the cases. For comparison, post-mortem olfactory tissue from AD patients with severe neuropathological changes (widespread neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid in the brain) was investigated, in these severe cases, tau immunoreactivity was found in fine nerve fibres in the lamina propria and in a few olfactory epithelial cells. These results are consistent with other reports showing that cytoskeletal changes and tau pathology in the olfactory epithelium are not primary (or specific) features of AD and may occur predominantly in late stages of the disease

Casitas B-lineage lymphoma linker helix mutations found in myeloproliferative neoplasms affect conformation

Background: Casitas B-lineage lymphoma (Cbl or c-Cbl) is a RING ubiquitin ligase that negatively regulates protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) signalling. Phosphorylation of a conserved residue (Tyr371) on the linker helix region (LHR) between the substrate-binding and RING domains is required to ubiquitinate PTKs, thereby flagging them for degradation. This conserved Tyr is a mutational hotspot in myeloproliferative neoplasms. Previous studies have revealed that select point mutations in Tyr371 can potentiate transformation in cells and mice but not all possible mutations do so. To trigger oncogenic potential, Cbl Tyr371 mutants must perturb the LHR-substrate-binding domain interaction and eliminate PTK ubiquitination. Although structures of native and pTyr371-Cbl are available, they do not reveal how Tyr371 mutations affect Cbl’s conformation. Here, we investigate how Tyr371 mutations affect Cbl’s conformation in solution and how this relates to Cbl’s ability to potentiate transformation in cells. Results: To explore how Tyr371 mutations affect Cbl’s properties, we used surface plasmon resonance to measure Cbl mutant binding affinities for E2 conjugated with ubiquitin (E2–Ub), small angle X-ray scattering studies to investigate Cbl mutant conformation in solution and focus formation assays to assay Cbl mutant transformation potential in cells. Cbl Tyr371 mutants enhance E2–Ub binding and cause Cbl to adopt extended conformations in solution. LHR flexibility, RING domain accessibility and transformation potential are associated with the extent of LHR-substrate-binding domain perturbation affected by the chemical nature of the mutation. More disruptive mutants like Cbl Y371D or Y371S are more extended and the RING domain is more accessible, whereas Cbl Y371F mimics native Cbl in solution. Correspondingly, the only Tyr371 mutants that potentiate transformation in cells are those that perturb the LHR-substrate-binding domain interaction. Conclusions: c-Cbl’s LHR mutations are only oncogenic when they disrupt the native state and fail to ubiquitinate PTKs. These findings provide new insights into how LHR mutations deregulate c-Cbl

Ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of ATG12 regulates its proapoptotic activity

During macroautophagy, conjugation of ATG12 to ATG5 is essential for LC3 lipidation and autophagosome formation. Additionally, ATG12 has ATG5-independent functions in diverse processes including mitochondrial fusion and mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis. In this study, we investigated the regulation of free ATG12. In stark contrast to the stable ATG12–ATG5 conjugate, we find that free ATG12 is highly unstable and rapidly degraded in a proteasome-dependent manner. Surprisingly, ATG12, itself a ubiquitin-like protein, is directly ubiquitinated and this promotes its proteasomal degradation. As a functional consequence of its turnover, accumulation of free ATG12 contributes to proteasome inhibitor-mediated apoptosis, a finding that may be clinically important given the use of proteasome inhibitors as anticancer agents. Collectively, our results reveal a novel interconnection between autophagy, proteasome activity, and cell death mediated by the ubiquitin-like properties of ATG12

The prion gene is associated with human long-term memory

Human cognitive processes are highly variable across individuals and are influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Although genetic variations affect short-term memory in humans, it is unknown whether genetic variability has also an impact on long-term memory. Because prion-like conformational changes may be involved in the induction of long-lasting synaptic plasticity, we examined the impact of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the prion protein gene (PRNP) on long-term memory in healthy young humans. SNPs in the genomic region of PRNP were associated with better long-term memory performance in two independent populations with different educational background. Among the examined PRNP SNPs, the common Met129Val polymorphism yielded the highest effect size. Twenty-four hours after a word list-learning task, carriers of either the 129MM or the 129MV genotype recalled 17% more information than 129VV carriers, but short-term memory was unaffected. These results suggest a role for the prion protein in the formation of long-term memory in human

The site of allergen expression in hematopoietic cells determines the degree and quality of tolerance induced through molecular chimerism

The transplantation of allergens (e.g. Phl p 5 or Bet v 1) expressed on BM cells as membrane-anchored full-length proteins leads to permanent tolerance at the T-cell, B-cell, and effector-cell levels. Since the exposure of complete allergens bears the risk of inducing anaphylaxis, we investigated here whether expression of Phl p 5 in the cytoplasm (rather than on the cell surface) is sufficient for tolerance induction. Transplantation of BALB/c BM retrovirally transduced to express Phl p 5 in the cytoplasm led to stable and durable molecular chimerism in syngeneic recipients (∼20% chimerism at 6 months). Chimeras showed allergen-specific T-cell hyporesponsiveness. Further, Phl p 5-specific TH1-dependent humoral responses were tolerized in several chimeras. Surprisingly, Phl p 5-specific IgE and IgG1 levels were significantly reduced but still detectable in sera of chimeric mice, indicating incomplete B-cell tolerance. No Phl p 5-specific sIgM developed in cytoplasmic chimeras, which is in marked contrast to mice transplanted with BM expressing membrane-anchored Phl p 5. Thus, the expression site of the allergen substantially influences the degree and quality of tolerance achieved with molecular chimerism in IgE-mediated allergy